Star Light, Star Bright
by Jagged Epiphany
Summary: *COMPLETE* This here is the kinda sequely-type-thing to 'When An Angel Loses Her Halo'. It's a Sirius reunion type fic. Been done, i know. The point is it's never been done by me! R&R! S/OC
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This will cover the whole story because I hate doing them for every chapter. I do _not_ own the characters that you recognise. I do own Aurora and the other characters that you don't recognise from the HP books. Unfortunately those characters are worth nothin'.

Rating: PG-13. Some sexual themes and adult content. Also some mild swearing. Rating will stay the same. I'll try to keep it (relatively) clean because I know I have young readers.

A/N: My muse came good! Yay for Hubert! Um…ok, let me set the scene for you. The first part of this chapter is set on Halloween night during PoA. Then it moves onto between PoA and GoF. During August to be more specific. That's really all you need to know so have fun!

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Chapter 1

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"If you love something, set it free; if it comes back it's yours, if it doesn't, it never was."

It was twelve years to the day. Aurora hadn't seen Sirius for twelve years. He'd left her to tend to some 'important business' and never returned.

Now, Aurora sat on the floor of her Liverpool flat and shuffled some newspaper clippings around the mouldy, green carpet. She picked up the most recent cutting and peered at it. The sunken eyes of Sirius Black stared back at her.

This scruffy, lifeless man was not the Sirius she remembered. He wasn't _her_ Sirius. Aurora wasn't stupid though; her Sirius was long dead. Azkaban had made sure of that.

Somehow, Sirius had escaped the dreaded prison. No one knew how he'd done it. Aurora personally thought everyone had underestimated him. Sirius was one of the best wizards of the age. Everyone seemed to know _why_ he escaped though. Sirius was going to kill young Harry Potter and rejoin the Dark Lord.

Aurora still wasn't sure if his escape was a good or bad thing yet. When the Ministry eventually caught up with him he'd be given the Dementor's Kiss. But Aurora still held a thread of hope in her heart. She shook it away though, Sirius was on the run and he wouldn't have time to drop in and see his old girlfriend.

In fact, Aurora wasn't sure if Sirius even wanted to see her. The last time they saw each other they'd had a huge fight. Aurora had replayed that last moment over and over in her mind.

*******FLASHBACK*******

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"Why won't you make a commitment to me…to this relationship?" Aurora demanded.

"I'm happy with the way things are now!" Sirius yelled.

"But James and Lily are happily married with baby Harry and Remus and Faith are as good as engaged," Aurora argued.

"So that's it then? You want to get married and start a family. Sorry, honey, but that brings a whole lot of responsibility that I'm not ready for."

"I hate you!" Aurora screamed, tears streaming down her face.

"Look, you need to calm down. I have to tend to some important business right now but when I get back we'll discuss this properly," Sirius grabbed his cloak off the back of a chair and put it on.

"Go! I don't care! I HATE YOU!" Aurora shrieked.

Sirius shrugged then walked out the door, never to return.

*******END FLASHBACK*******

A tear rolled down Aurora's cheek as she recalled her last words to him. Even now, she could barely remember the days that followed. Everything was a blur. You-Know-Who killed James and Lily. Her best friends were dead and her boyfriend had been accused of betraying them. Everything had fallen apart the next day when the Ministry captured Sirius after he killed Peter Pettigrew and a street full of Muggles.

Aurora only vaguely recalled being questioned by the Ministry of Magic. She briefly searched the newspaper clippings till she found the one she was looking for.

The headline read: **Black's girlfriend pleads her innocence but admits Black was evil.**

As she reread the article, Aurora felt the guilt settle heavily in her stomach. She knew Sirius was innocent but she made up a story about constantly being under the Imperius Curse and not being able to escape him.

Aurora was sure she was the only one who knew Sirius was innocent. Even Remus and Faith had their doubts. Aurora hadn't spoken to either of them in twelve years because of it. Remus was the one Aurora suspected of being a spy. She'd heard Faith had gone into hiding and now lived as a Muggle but she had no idea what happened to Remus.

At times, Aurora even entertained thought of hunting Remus down and extracting revenge on behalf of her wrongly accused lover. She kept this violent fantasy to herself though; she didn't want to be associated with You-Know-Who.

No one knew Sirius better than Aurora and she knew he hadn't betrayed Lily and James. James was like a brother to him and he loved his Godson. He was incapable of betraying them.

Now that Sirius had escaped a few months ago the Ministry had come to Aurora for help. Shaking her head sadly she picked up a pair of scissors and the paper that had arrived that morning. Slowly and steadily she cut out the front-page article. It read: 

****

Still no leads on Black, ex-girlfriend can't help.

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Yesterday, the Minister of Magic visited Aurora Matheson, ex-girlfriend of escaped criminal Sirius Black. The Minister had hoped that Matheson would he able to give an insight into Black's thinking. Matheson only said that she couldn't hope to predict the mind of a madman and refused to comment further in the matter. She even turned down Mr. Fudge's offer of a surveillance team stationed outside her flat incase Black came after her.

Aurora laughed darkly. Provide and insight into Black? Well, he certainly wasn't after Harry and she also knew he'd be likely to head somewhere warm because he hated cold weather.

She imagined him stretched out on a tropical beach sipping a Pina Colada. She giggled at the thought. No, that wasn't his style. The desert could be an option except Sirius hated camels. The jungle seemed a lot more plausible. Somewhere in Africa probably. 

Aurora closed her eyes and imagined Sirius trudging through the jungle. He appeared just as she remembered him. Tall, dark, strong, incredibly handsome, confident and full of life with that mischievous twinkle in his eye.

She sighed as Sirius pushed his way through the strangling vines in the hot jungle. He suddenly stopped and took off his shirt, Aurora kept her eyes closed and licked her lips slowly. Imaginary Sirius took a long drink of water from a bottle and Aurora watched hungrily as the water trickled from the corners of his mouth. It slid down his neck and over the hardened muscles of his chest and stomach.

A shiver ran down Aurora's spine. A small moan escaped her lips and her reverie was broken immediately. Her eyes flew open and slapped her hands over her mouth. She hadn't thought about Sirius like _that_ in a while.

"Honestly, you're a grown woman," Aurora chided herself as she gathered the newspaper clippings back into a shoebox.

She was a thirty-three year old woman sitting alone fantasising about her old boyfriend who didn't want anything to do with her. Aurora supposed it was only natural though, she hadn't been with a guy for twelve years. She hadn't even kissed anyone since Sirius.

"No wonder I'm having fantasies about Sirius. I'm a sexually frustrated sociopath. God, I need a life," Aurora sighed as she picked up the box and went back to her room.

She shoved it under her bed then went and stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom. The mirror was pretty grimy but she could just make out her reflection.

"You're really not that bad looking," she said to herself and ran her fingers through her shoulder length black hair.

Truthfully, she did get propositioned a lot at the Muggle pub she worked at. Big, fat, drunk guys with bad comb-overs and wives at home weren't exactly her type though.

Sick of looking at herself now, she went back to her room and crawled into her large empty bed. Deep down, Aurora knew she didn't have a new boyfriend because she was still pining away for Sirius.

Another part of her, the rational part, knew it was ridiculous and idealistic of her to expect him to return and make everything better. But this hope, this idealistic dream, was what kept her sane.

But perhaps after twelve years it was time to move on.

***************

About ten months later…

Aurora picked the Daily Prophet up off the kitchen table. The headline told her that Sirius was still in hiding and her heart rose.

Not too long ago there had been a very close call. She'd heard over the Wireless that he'd been captured by the Ministry and was to be given the Dementor's Kiss. Aurora had cried non-stop. Then about an hour later more news had come through. Sirius had slipped through their fingers somehow. Aurora jumped around her kitchen and cheered. She must have been the only person in the world who did express any joy though.

She'd also heard news about Remus. Apparently he'd been teaching at Hogwarts for the past year. Somehow the information leaked out that Remus was a werewolf and he'd resigned fearing the backlash from concerned parents.

"Serves him bloody right," Aurora said as she pulled on a jacket and went to work.

***************

Five long hours later, she returned home and kicked off her shoes.

Aurora was about to head to her room to get changed when there was a sharp knock on the door.

She consulted her watch, "you're home early, sweetheart."

She unlocked the door and yanked it open. A cloaked figure stood on her doorstep. It wasn't whom she'd been expecting though.

"Can I help you with something?" Aurora sighed. If this was another Ministry goon asking for help she was going to get angry.

"Let me in," a deep, rough voice said urgently.

"Not in this life, buddy. Now, back up."

"Please let me in, Rory."

Aurora faltered. No one had called her Rory in years. She stumbled back in shock.

The stranger took this opportunity to step inside. He closed the door then slowly removed his hood.

"Oh God," Aurora leant on the wall for support.

"It's me."

She stared at him for a second. His hair was short and he was looking a little healthier than in his picture. There was no mistaking him though. It was Sirius Black. The man she'd longed to see for over twelve years now stood right in front of her.

Aurora didn't know what to do or say. It became too much for her to handle. She felt her knees buckle then everything went black.

"Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for," Sirius sighed as he peered at the unconscious woman.

Sirius locked the door behind himself then easily scooped her up in his arms.

"Why'd you have to go and faint? This situation is difficult enough already," he grunted as he kicked open a door that he hoped was her bedroom door.

A double bed was in the middle of the room. He gently placed her on it and shed his heavy cloak and sat beside her. Slowly, his eyes roamed the length of her body.

"You certainly haven't lost your looks. I think you might even look better," Sirius observed.

He took special note of the short black skirt she was wearing and her sheer white blouse that did nothing to hide the red lace bra underneath. Sirius also noticed that a nametag was pinned to her blouse, the odd thing was that it said: Amy.

Sirius looked back up at her face to make sure he had the right woman. It was definitely Aurora. Her soft pink lips were slightly parted and she looked almost angelic but it was definitely her.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly. She turned and looked at Sirius as if she was trying to remember what was going on.

"Hey there, Sleeping Beauty," he smiled kindly.

A look of realisation spread across her face. Aurora squealed and tried to scramble off the bed.

"Shh!" Sirius put his hand over her mouth and held her down.

Aurora lay still and looked up at him, her dark blue eyes wide in shock. She was pale and shaking.

"I didn't mean to scare you, baby. I won't hurt you. You're safe," Sirius soothed her softly.

Aurora mumbled something into his hand about not being scared but he didn't hear her.

"It's all right. Everything is ok. I just wanted to see you. You're so beautiful," he stroked her hair.

Realising that he wasn't planning on moving his hand anytime soon, Aurora bit him.

"Hey!" he jumped back in surprise and examined the teeth marks on the palm of his hand.

"Oh my God," Aurora clambered off the bed.

"There's nothing to worry about. I'm not going to hurt you," Sirius held out his hands to show he wasn't armed.

"I know that, you bloody git!" she rolled her eyes.

"Then why all the screaming and fainting?"

"You startled me. I wasn't exactly expecting to find you on my doorstep. What are you doing here in broad daylight? Someone might see you! Are you insane?"

"If you believe what the papers are saying."

"Oh, well, it's nice to see you can still joke about this. God, what are we going to do?" she began to wring her hands nervously.

"Settle down, Rory. I've obviously upset you so I'll leave right now."

"No!"

"You want me to stay?"

"Yes…I mean, at least wait till it gets dark. You're lucky no one saw you. The old lady across the street is always watching me. I bet she saw you. Bloody hell…I need a drink," she rubbed her forehead.

"You're a little more high-strung than I remember," Sirius said as he followed her out to the kitchen.

"If you'd been through what I have then you would be high-strung too."

"I'm sorry I put you through all that but you have to understand I-"

"Didn't do it. I know. You're completely innocent. I've always known it," she calmly poured herself a scotch.

If Sirius had been expecting to hear anything it certainly wasn't that.

"So, you believe I'm innocent?"

"Of course I do. I know Remus was the spy who was feeding information to You-Know-Who."

"Umm…I think we need to have a talk."

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A/N: A little short but I had to start somewhere. I promise it gets better. Thanks to Hubert (my muse) I have a plot. Kinda.

So do you like it?


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Yes. A double update. Aren't you all ecstatic beyond words? I know I am. Please make me even more ecstatic and R&R.

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Chapter 2

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'Where there is love there is life'-Mahatma Gandhi

Sirius told her the whole story. Aurora was completely enraptured and gasped during all the appropriate parts.

"So Buckbeak is with Remus and I'm here with you," Sirius finished.

Aurora was silent for a few minutes as she tried to soak up all this new information. It was a lot to absorb in a short amount of time.

"So, let me get this straight…Remus is innocent and it was Peter who screwed everyone over?"

"Yep."

"That evil little rat!" Aurora slammed her glass on the table and sent scotch splashing everywhere.

"I had him right there! I would have killed him, Rory. I'd have done it. I'm not a murderer but I swear I would have killed him if Harry hadn't stepped in," Sirius clenched his fists.

"I know," she said softly. "So, tell me more about Harry."

"He's such a great kid. Lily and James would have been proud. Seeing him made me regret not having kids of my own," he admitted dejectedly.

Aurora coughed and sprayed alcohol all over Sirius. He gave her an odd look and she jumped to her feet.

"Sorry, I'm not being much of a hostess. Would you like a cup of tea or coffee?" Aurora searched her bare cupboards. "We don't actually have any tea bags or coffee handy. Sorry. What about a drink of water? I know we have some of that," she opened the fridge.

"We? Does someone else live here with you?"

"Did I say we? It's only me here. Just me. No one else. Oh, look, left over spaghetti. If I recall correctly you used to love my spaghetti," Aurora pulled the lid off a plastic container and sniffed the contents. "Well, I don't know how long it's been there but chances are it won't kill you."

"I'm fine really. What's up with you? You're all flustered and you only get like that when something's wrong. What is it?"

"Nothing," she shoved the container back in the fridge and slammed the door.

"Nothing? Aurora…"

"Curiousity killed the cat and the same fate awaits you if you don't stop prying," she said tersely.

"Fine," Sirius threw his hands up in surrender, "have your little secret then. So…what have you been up to?"

"Nothing much," Aurora said airily as she sat back down.

"Nothing much?"

"Yep."

"For twelve years?"

"Yep," she drank the rest of her scotch in a gulp.

"Whatever, Rory. I can't make you tell me. Another topic of conversation perhaps? Hmm…this is a nice place," Sirius looked around the small and extremely cramped kitchen.

"It's a bloody hole and you know it."

"It's certainly…modest. So what's with the nametag? You haven't changed your name, have you?"

Aurora looked down and groaned, "I work at a Muggle pub down the road. My boss doesn't like Aurora so my name is now Amy."

"What's wrong with Aurora?" Sirius asked.

"Stupid loser reckons it sounds like a porn star name," she rolled her eyes as she unpinned the tag and threw it on the table.

"Well, the guy obviously hasn't watched a lot of porn lately," he flashed his endearingly cheeky grin.

Aurora arched an eyebrow. "And you have?"

"Sadly, no. The Dementors wouldn't grant me the pleasure. So this bloke wants you to look like a porn star but not sound like one?"

"I look like a porn star?" she gasped.

"Just a bit."

"Oh God, I'm going to get changed right now!" she snatched up her tag.

"Rory, I was only kidding. You look great, beautiful even, please don't change."

Aurora stopped and stared at him. She recognised the look on his face immediately. "Nice try, Black, but I'm getting out of these clothes. I'll be back in a minute."

"Worth a try," he shrugged.

"You're still the same," she sighed and walked away whilst trying in vain to pull her skirt down to make it seem longer.

While she was gone, Sirius took the opportunity to look around. It was obvious that someone else lived in the flat. There were two breakfast bowls in the sink and Sirius even found two toothbrushes in the bathroom.

He was looking out the kitchen window when Aurora returned.

"Did you pay extra for the scenic view?" he laughed as he looked at the block of flats next door. In the flat directly parallel he could see an over weight man lounging in an armchair wearing only his underwear and scratching himself crudely.

"Would you keep away from the bloody windows?" Aurora whipped the curtain across. "The last thing I need is for my neighbours to discover I'm harbouring a wanted criminal."

"What about your flat-mate?" Sirius took his seat again.

Aurora was wearing a pair of blue track pants and a red tank top. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and sat back across from him. "I told you before, I live alone."

"I'm not stupid. Not entirely, anyway. Look, I can see two bowls in the sink."

"I was feeling particularly hungry this morning."

"Why not use the same bowl then?" Sirius smirked, knowing he'd caught her out.

Aurora flushed, "because…well…oh, shut up."

"And there are two toothbrushes in the bathroom."

"I have really bad breath," she said lamely.

"Look, it's perfectly all right. I didn't expect someone like you to wait for me. You've moved on and I know I can't do anything about it. I'd just like to know about what's been happening while I've been gone."

Aurora narrowed her eyes. "That is none of your business! My life has nothing to do with you anymore, you forfeited that privilege when you never returned!"

"I had no control over that! Even you know I'm innocent!"

"Don't you dare yell at me after all I went through because of you!" Aurora slammed her hands on the table and rose.

"I went through hell, too! Azkaban isn't exactly a holiday resort! You weren't the only one who suffered, you know!" he paused and lowered his voice. "This was obviously a huge mistake. I'm leaving. Thanks for the warm welcome," Sirius pushed his chair back swiftly and strode from the room.

Aurora's knees suddenly felt weak. He was leaving. Again. Her chest constricted and she struggled to draw breath. Not again. Not while she could stop him.

She ran from the kitchen, knocking over a chair in her haste. She caught Sirius in her bedroom where he was pulling on his cloak.

"Don't go," she whispered.

He ignored her and continued to do up the buttons. His fingers slipped and fumbled constantly because he was shaking so much.

"Sirius, don't go. Please."

"At least I can say good bye this time."

"No!" Aurora cried.

Sirius was shocked by the forcefulness in her voice. She even surprised herself. On the verge of tears she crossed the room to stand in front of him. He avoided her eyes and moved to fasten the last button.

"Don't," she grabbed his hands.

"Aurora, let me go."

"I can't. Not again. If you walk out of my life again…I…don't think I'll survive. I can't handle another broken heart. Especially when I'm still recovering from the first. I'm sorry for everything. Please don't leave," she brought his hand up and brushed her lips over his knuckles.

Sirius stared down at her. Aurora had always needed a little coaxing before she shared her feelings. Now she was pouring her heart out to him. Truthfully, he hadn't thought she had been affected so deeply and harshly by it all.

Aurora had always been the tough one who built walls around herself. She grew up with her father when her mother died shortly after giving birth. When she was twelve her father died of a stroke. During the summer holidays she stayed with her ailing grandfather until he died when she was fifteen. After that she alternated between Lily and Faith's houses during the break.

Aurora had suffered so much loss in her life that Sirius thought she was impenetrable. She'd had a difficult life but she never cried or complained and Sirius had always admired her resolve.

Now, she stood in front of him as a completely different woman. Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears and her lower lip quivered. She looked so small and fragile and the pain that was evident in her eyes made Sirius wince.

Aurora looked up at Sirius through wet lashes with the same blue eyes that had mesmerised him and captivated him for so many years. She still took his breath away. After nearly thirteen years she still caused his stomach to jolt and his heart to skip

She looked so frightened and vulnerable that it would be _impossible_ to walk away now. Sirius simply couldn't do it to her. Not again anyway.

"All right," he said softly and began to undo his buttons again.

Aurora tried to thank him but all that came out was a whimper. As he took off his cloak she began to relax and a wave of relief hit her. Tears began to flow and her knees wobbled.

"Maybe you should sit down," Sirius suggested.

She nodded and moved to her bed. She sat cross-legged and tried to take deep, slow breaths. Sirius stood in front of her with his hands on his hips, waiting for her to calm down.

Aurora felt extremely foolish. She hated crying. It was a sign of weakness and it never achieved anything.

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Stupid, stupid. Now Sirius is going to think you're some sort of unstable nutter, she rubbed her eyes furiously, as if trying to push the tears back in.

Sirius picked up on her obvious discomfort but he didn't say anything. He didn't even know what to say. He'd only seen her cry once or twice. He had tried to comfort her those times but she ended up punching him in the arm. Aurora's punches hurt and he wasn't quite back to his normal strength yet.

She managed to collect herself finally. She looked up at him and said in a low husky voice, "you want to know whom I live with, don't you?"

"If you don't mind of course."

"The first thing you have to know is that I never meant to hurt you. I-I just thought it was for the best…"

Sirius was beginning to get worried. "Just tell me."

Before Aurora could open her mouth there was a noise at the front door. A noise like someone unlocking it.

"Oh no," Aurora gasped.

Sirius stared at her as if she'd gone mad. Perhaps she had. She cursed bad timing. She cursed crying. She cursed her crappy, screwed up life. She even cursed Sirius.

And of course, she cursed the whole damn world.

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A/N: Sorry about the teeny little cliffhanger. I suck at suspense. I don't know how much better that chapter was. At least it was a slight improvement.

Should I even bother continuing with this? Please review and give me your opinion.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I was a little worried about this story. Now I know it's ok I can continue.

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Chapter 3

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"To err is human; to forgive, divine."

  
"Taylor's home," Aurora said as she hurriedly wiped her eyes and tried to straighten herself out.

"So his name is Taylor?" Sirius raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Her name actually."

"HER?!" his eyes popped out of his head. "Rory…I never knew…"

"It's not like _that_," she sighed.

"So she's just your flat-mate then?"

"Not exactly. Taylor is my daughter."

"Did you just say…what…how can she…but you must," Sirius stammered his mouth agape.

Aurora looked at her hands. "Well, I better go talk to her. You stay in here and keep quiet. Be right back."

Sirius could only nod. She left and closed the door behind herself. A daughter? Since when did Aurora have a daughter? She wasn't exactly the most maternal woman in the world. The idea of Aurora Matheson having a child was just too foreign for Sirius to comprehend.

__

A lot has changed, Sirius thought to himself as he moved to the door and pressed his ear up against it in hopes of catching some of the conversation.

The door opened suddenly and Sirius stumbled. Aurora eyed him and he smiled sheepishly.

"She's gone over to her friend's house. She won't be back for a few hours."

Sirius nodded slowly. "So-uh-who's her father?"

Aurora appeared to seize up and she grimaced. Sirius felt an uneasy heaviness settle in the pit of his stomach.

"You are."

"Come again?"

"I said you're her father," Aurora said without looking up from a spot on the floor.

"Hmm. That's a little hard to believe considering my extended absence. I mean, I'm good but I'm not _that_ good."

"I'm not kidding. Before you left…I found out I was a month pregnant the day before Halloween. I was going to tell you…"

She really didn't look like she was joking. They had a daughter. A little girl they had created.

Anger like he'd never felt washed over Sirius. "You should have told me straight away! Hell, I should have gone to the doctor's appointment with you! Bloody hell Aurora! Do you realise what you've done!?"

"I'm _so _sorry! I was scared and…"

"I don't want your damn excuses! I can't believe you would do something like this to me!"

"Don't yell at me!"

"You don't even understand! If I had known you were pregnant I never would have gone after Peter! I would have had something to live for! The loss of Lily and James wouldn't have affected me so much! God, everything would have been different!"

"Wasn't I enough to live for? You're a damn fool! We both know you would have gone after Peter regardless."

"NO!"

Aurora recoiled slightly. She swallowed past a lump in her throat and tried to remain strong. "I was doing what was best for me and the baby."

"And what about me? She's my daughter too! Or don't I get a say in anything? Does she even know I'm her father?" Sirius crossed his arms and glared at her.

Aurora shook her head and stared at her feet. Sirius was angrier than she'd ever seen him. Frankly, he was scaring her.

"Oh, that's even better! I don't even exist as far as she's concerned."

"What was I supposed to say? By the way, sweetie, your father is a convicted murderer. Come on!"

"You screwed up. I just…I can't even look at you anymore," Sirius shook his head and left the bedroom.

Aurora fumed. _He can go to hell for all I care!_ Aurora repeatedly told herself. But deep down she knew it wasn't true. She loved Sirius and she'd hurt him.

At the time it felt right. Sirius had been acting as uncommitted and frivolous as ever. He _obviously _was not ready for a baby. She just had to make sure he was serious about their relationship before she told him. Aurora would have hated it if he stayed with her just because she was pregnant.

How was she to know he would never return? Aurora had wanted to tell him but she was frightened. Sirius was unpredictable, she couldn't guess how he'd react to the news he was a father. Sometimes she wished she'd told him and sometimes she simply wished they'd been more careful in the first place.

He was right though. She had screwed up. Any thought of them returning to the way things were before he left had been thrown out the window by the revelation. Sirius hated her. That much she was sure of.

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Why shouldn't he hate me? I kept his daughter from him. His own child.

Aurora began to cry. The tears fell freely this time. Not bothering to restrain herself any longer she sobbed uncontrollably and collapsed on her bed.

What if Sirius took Taylor from her? She'd be alone. Taylor had been the only reason she kept living after he left so unexpectedly.

Aurora had never cried so much in her life. Now, she found it hard to stop. This wasn't just about Sirius anymore. She cried for her parents, her grandfather, and Lily and James. Any pain she'd ever experienced in her life was being relived.

Aurora cried for an hour straight.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Sirius was sitting out in the kitchen. He'd never been more confused in his whole life. His emotions were so conflicting that he was getting a headache. 

He had a daughter! And with Aurora of all people! Neither were really parental material yet they had a daughter together.

No. Aurora had a daughter. Sirius had a girl who didn't even know who he was. Taylor just thought of him as that escaped murderer guy. Chance are, she was even scared of him.

Sirius had wanted to have kids eventually but he planned to wait till he was at least twenty-seven. He supposed he and Aurora could have been a little more careful at times but she really had no patience.

He had a daughter and considering she was Aurora's daughter too she was obviously beautiful. Sirius smiled to himself. But the smile quickly vanished. Sirius had missed over twelve years of Taylor's life. He never got too see her take her first step or hear her say her first word. He'd missed her entire childhood.

It was all Aurora's damn fault. She'd ruined everything. Had he known about Taylor's existence earlier he would have been at least been a little more cautious when he confronted Peter.

At the very least he would have tried to escape Azkaban sooner. Sirius had never hated Aurora before but he was feeling close to it now. She'd raised their daughter all by herself without any input from him.

Then Sirius suddenly realised how alone she must have been. Aurora would have gone through the birth all by herself. With no friends or family to support. Then she had to raise a little girl all by herself.

Sirius felt his anger slip away. A deep sense of sadness and admiration swept over him. Aurora had done it all by herself. It would have been hard to raise Taylor with the way the world was. He was sure she would have given her the best life possible but as Sirius looked around their dingy flat the full reality of how hard they'd lived hit him.

Sirius sighed and rubbed his neck tiredly. It had been an hour now, surely Aurora had calmed down. He was answered by a particularly loud and painful sob from her room.

Though it was still a pretty new experience to him, Sirius didn't like her crying. Already they'd fallen back into their old habit of fighting and hurting each other. It was a vicious circle they found hard to break.

Aurora's cried carried out to Sirius and he flinched. She was in pain all right. But what was he supposed to do? He was new at this whole comforting thing. How could he make her feel better?

__

"Just let her know you're there for her."

Lily's words rang in is mind. Sirius had gone to talk to her when the anniversary of Aurora's father's death had approached some ten years ago. He hadn't known what he was supposed to do. Luckily the anniversary past and Aurora treated it like any other day

Heeding Lily's advice, Sirius stood up and went to knock softly on her door. The whimpering and gasping stopped briefly then started again, even louder than before. The fact that she hadn't sworn at him was a good sign at least. Sirius entered her room.

Aurora was lying in the middle of her bed, curled up in a tight ball with a pillow clutched tightly to herself. Her black hair was all over her face and she was trembling. Sirius nearly broke down at the sight of her.

Acting on instinct, he moved to sit on the bed beside her. Aurora rolled over without a word so her back was to him.

"Rory, I want to help you."

"You want to take my baby away from me," she croaked, her voice shaky and barely audible.

"No! I'd never do that to you or Taylor!"

Aurora rolled back over to face him. Sirius brushed some hair from her face and smiled. She tried to smile back but she ended up crying again.

"You've worked yourself into quite a state, kitten," Sirius said as he lay down beside her.

"I like it when you call me that," was all she said.

"I know," he put his hand on her cheek.

She just cried some more. "Dammit! I can't stop now!"

"It's probably more healthy to let it out anyway. Tell you what, if you let go of that pillow there you might be a little bit more comfortable."

She moved her arms and he pulled the pillow from her grasp. Almost timidly, she moved a little closer to him. Sirius knew what she wanted so he pulled her into his arms. She settled against him and he sighed loudly. He thought he'd never be able to hold her again.

"I'm sorry," Aurora whispered.

"I know. How'd you manage it all by yourself?"

"It _was_ really hard but the old lady from down the road helped me. Dorothy. You remember her? She used to be a midwife so she helped me a lot. She died when Taylor was five though. Then we moved here."

Sirius realised something. "Taylor's twelve right?"

"She turned twelve at the beginning of July."

Sirius frowned as he stroked her hair. "Does she go to Hogwarts?"

"No. I-well, I didn't want to risk anyone recognising her last name. I really wanted her to go but I thought you'd agree with me. I didn't think you'd want her to be harassed by people because her last name is Matheson."

"I don't want her to be harassed. Does anyone know she's my daughter?"

"Not as far as I know. I tell everyone she's eleven. As far as they know her father is the man I was with after you."

"You were with someone after me?"

"Yes, it didn't last very long though. Only for a few months. Let's just say he took advantage of the situation and wouldn't take no for an answer."

Sirius tried to remain calm. "Did he ever hurt you?"

"No. But not from lack of trying. You don't want to piss off a pregnant woman though. I don't think he's be able to have children anymore," Aurora said with a small laugh.

Sirius winced. "I thought about you a lot in Azkaban. I didn't worry about you though. You're extremely capable of taking care of yourself."

"I've been doing it for too long now. For once I want to relax and let _someone_ else take care of me. Sirius…"

"I promise I'll take care of you. Taylor as well. We'll be a real family."

"Thank you."

"It's my job, Rory. So, tell me all about Taylor. What is she like?"

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A/N: Sorry it was short. I just wanted to get a chapter out now. I won't be updating for a while. I have my HSC exams coming. The HSC is what we do at the end of school over here. I need good marks to get into University too.

Please review.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'm still alive. Barely. Thanks for the encouraging reviews. I'm really proud of this story so far. Truthfully I don't have much of a plot anymore but I'll try to make it interesting at least.

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Chapter 4

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"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."-William Shakespeare 

Sirius listened to Aurora talk about Taylor for two hours. She never seemed to tire of speaking about her daughter. Sirius had the feeling Aurora was embellishing slightly. Taylor was an extraordinary girl on all accounts. Smart, beautiful, funny, well behaved…the list went on.

"So, are you going to tell her about me?"

"That you're her father? Not yet. Taylor will probably figure it out herself. She always asks about her father but I refuse to talk. When a mystery man turns up she's going to realise what's going on."

"How do you think she'll react?" Sirius asked slowly, not knowing if he'd like the answer.

"I don't know. Just - well, don't overwhelm her," Aurora said as she brushed her silky black hair.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart," he said nonchalantly but Aurora saw the apprehension on his face.

"Sirius, it might take her a while to adjust to the situation but I'm sure she'll love you. How could she not?"

Aurora threw her brush in a drawer then went to stand in front of him. He looked into her serene blue eyes and felt a little calmer. "You're right. I'm irresistible."

"I wouldn't go as far as irresistible but you certainly have charm," she grinned.

Sirius smiled back at her. It was just like old times. The love between them was still there. The passion was still there. It was almost like they were never apart.

Sirius put his hand on her cheek and moved in to kiss her. At the last second they were interrupted by a knock on the front door. Aurora jumped back in surprise.

"Show time," she gave a shaky, weak smile. "Just try to act normal."

"Are you implying I don't always act normal?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

Sirius followed her out then stood in the kitchen as he'd been instructed. He'd never been so nervous in his life. This moment was going to change the rest of his life. What if Taylor hated him? What if she didn't want him in her life? So many what ifs.

"What's going on, mum? Why did you-" Taylor stopped talking the second she spotted the stranger in the kitchen.

The two of them stared at each other for what seemed like minutes but was really only seconds. Sirius felt an uncharacteristic lump rise in his throat. Aurora hadn't been lying. Taylor was perfect. Just by looking at her he could tell she was their daughter. 

She was tall for her age and slender but not overly thin. She had Aurora's black hair and Sirius was pleased to note she had his brown eyes. She was pretty in a sophisticated and smart kind of way, he thought.

"T, I'd like you to meet one of my old friends from school," Aurora said once they'd finished eyeing one another.

"Nice to finally meet you," Sirius smiled and tried to keep his voice smooth. He held out his hand and after a reassuring nod from her mother, Taylor accepted the offered hand.

"You're Sirius Black," said Taylor as he clasped her hand a little longer than was necessary. It wasn't an accusation or a question. Just a simple statement on her part.

"Taylor! Don't be rude!" Aurora reprimanded.

"It's all right. I'm glad she knows who I am. It saves us from awkward introductions."

"You went to school with my mum?"

Sirius stole a glance at Aurora. "Yes, I did actually."

"Then you might know who my father is," Taylor said thoughtfully.

"Taylor!"

"Sorry I asked," she rolled her eyes at her mother. "I'm going to my room."

With a last look at Sirius, she stomped off. The walls shook when she slammed her door.

"I'm sorry. Normally she's so well behaved," Aurora shook her head, deeply embarrassed by her daughter's attitude.

"It's fine, Rory. Do you think she knows?"

Aurora gave a small nod. "Or at least she will soon."

"Do you think I should talk to her then?"

"I don't know, Siri. This has all become way too complicated," she sighed heavily and crossed her arms.

"I'll go talk to her, kitten."

Aurora looked a little hesitant. "What will you say?"

"Honestly…I don't know. I just think it's about time I act like her father." He gathered himself up and tried to think like a parent.

"Sirius…" she said softly. He turned back to her. She looked like she was on the verge on tears again. "Tell her I'm sorry and I didn't mean to hurt her."

"Of course, sweetheart, but I'm sure she already knows it."

Sirius gave Aurora a nervous smile then went and knocked on Taylor's bedroom door. There was no answer so he knocked again.

"Go away, mum!"

"It's not your mum."

More silence. Then, "come in."

Slowly, Sirius opened the door and entered the small dark room. The only light was from a candle on an old and battered dressing table that Sirius recognised as once belonging to Aurora. The room was startlingly small and bare. The bed against the far wall and the dressing table took up most of the space. The off white walls had moldy patches and the carpet had been torn up to reveal a hard wood floor.

Taylor was lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling. Sirius was very relieved to see she wasn't crying. Not quite sure what to do, he moved cautiously towards her bed.

"What do you want?" she asked. She drew her legs up and Sirius took this as an invitation to sit on the bed.

He didn't answer her though so she repeated the question. First question and she already had him stumped.

"Are you frightened of me?"

__

Nice one, Black, answer a question with a question.

Taylor had no trouble answering though. "I'm not frightened of you."

"Do you know why I went to Azkaban?" 

"I don't walk around with my eyes closed and fingers in my ears," was her brusque reply.

"Right. That was a pretty stupid question," Sirius admitted.

"You'll get no arguments from me."

Sirius just couldn't resist a smile. She might have had Aurora's temper but she also had his wit.

"Why aren't you frightened of me then?"

Taylor sighed, obviously bored with the conversation. "My mother wouldn't let you near me if you were dangerous. Besides, you don't look like a murderer. Mum always told me to make my own judgements rather than go on what others says."

"Your mother is a very smart woman. Tell me, why don't I look like a murderer?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Your eyes," she shrugged.

"My eyes?"

"They're soft and brown," Taylor sat up to look at him closer. "Kind of like mine."

Sirius froze. She had him trapped now. She was watching intently for his reaction but he was determined not to give her one.

"Really? I hadn't noticed. What a coincidence."

"Don't play games with me."

Sirius jumped in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"I know you're my father. I'm not stupid," she snapped.

"Your father? What makes you say that?" he chuckled uneasily.

Taylor pulled something out from under her pillow and handed it to him. Sirius went and stood near the candle to get a better look.

It was an old photo of him and Aurora. It had been taken the day they graduated from Hogwarts. They were laughing and hugging and kissing and looking generally happy.

"Where did you get this?" he asked, his voice breaking mid sentence.

"I found it in mum's room a while ago. I knew the guy in the picture had to be my father. I just knew it. I only just realised it was you now though. I saw your picture in the newspaper but I didn't make the connection. But as soon as I saw you without the beard and the long hair I knew."

Sirius turned back to her and saw the tears glistening on her cheeks. "Oh, Taylor, I'm so sorry."

She shook her head. "It's not your fault." Sirius breathed a huge sigh of relief. "It's all mum's fault."

__

This isn't good.

"No, no. You mustn't blame her."

"Why not? It's unfair! I could have come to visit you in Azkaban!"

"Taylor, that's exactly why she didn't tell you! It was for your own protection."

"Even though you don't want anything to do with me she should have told me," she said as she rubbed at her eyes.

"Who said I don't want anything to do with you?" he demanded.

"You never wrote to me or tried to make contact."

"That's because I didn't know about you. This is all new to me too. Rory - your mother- only told me about you today. Until then I didn't know you existed," Sirius explained.

"Mum didn't tell you either? But then you must hate her like I do!"

"I don't hate her and neither do you. Yes, at first I was angry but I realised she did it to protect you, not hurt me."

"But you're not a murderer," Taylor said exasperatedly.

"You may think that but other people don't. Honey, people aren't as open minded as you. As far as they're concerned I'm a criminal. If anybody found out you were my daughter…well, they'd take their anger out on you and your mother didn't want that."

Taylor thought about this for a moment. Gradually, the anger faded from her face. Sirius went and sat beside her on the bed. "I'd still like to have known but I understand why she did it now."

He nodded and smiled. "I knew you would. You're a very smart kid. You take after your mother in that department."

"So, do you want to be part of my life?" she asked cautiously.

"Only if you want me too."

"Things are moving a little too quickly at the moment…"

"It's all right. Take your time. I'll always be here."

Taylor seemed to like this answer because she smiled up at him. She had Aurora's shy smile. "What should I call you?"

"What ever you want, angel."

"I think Sirius is best for now. Dad feels a little weird."

"If you're happy with that then so am I."

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A/N: I know, short boring chapter. The next one should be a little better. Hopefully. Please review anyhow.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Aurora and Taylor belong to me but Sirius doesn't unfortunately.

A/N: I greatly appreciate the reviews and I'm glad everyone else is enjoying this as much as I am.

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Chapter 5

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'Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.'-Buddha

"Sirius! Is she all right?" Aurora demanded, the moment Sirius emerged from their daughter's bedroom.

"I think she will be," he answered earnestly. "At least she's accepted the truth and she doesn't hate either of us."

"Thanks for talking to her. I don't think I could have done it."

"I was happy to do it. It actually gave us a good chance to connect. This father thing is easier than it seems," Sirius ran his hands through his hair.

"You're only saying that because you didn't have to give her the 'birds and bees' talk," Aurora shuddered at the memory.

"Oh, I bet that was a fun conversation," he smirked.

"Not for me anyway. I was prepared with my books and stuff and it turned out she already knew everything. I reckon she knows even more than I do."

"I seriously doubt that, you're the queen of seduction," Sirius winked.

"Me? The queen of seduction?" she snorted.

"It always worked on me."

She giggled. "No offence, darling, but it's not exactly hard to seduce you."

"You have a point there," he admitted. He turned to Aurora and smiled beguilingly. He had that look in his eye.

Aurora involuntarily shivered as he advanced on her. His strong arms encircled her waist and he moved in to kiss her. At the last second she turned her head and Sirius ended up kissing her cheek instead.

"Rory, what's wrong?" he asked, dazed by her actions.

"Nothing," she slipped out of his grasp. "How about we get some pizza for dinner?"

"Sure. Whatever you want."

Aurora nodded and picked up her car keys and purse. "I'll be back in a while."

"Take your time," he waved her away impatiently. She winced as he turned his back on her. Now she'd pissed him off again. They'd been getting along so well!

"Sirius…"

"Just go, Aurora!"

"Fine! Be an incorrigible prat! See if I care!" she glared at his back then spun on her heel and stormed out, slamming the front door behind herself.

Sirius sighed and took a seat at the table. He had over-reacted. She didn't want to kiss him. So what? He shouldn't have expected her to jump into his arms without hesitation. Too much had happened between them.

"What's going on?" a small voice enquired from the doorway.

Sirius felt his stomach tighten with guilt. The last thing Taylor needed was to hear them arguing. He swiveled in his seat to look at her. She was standing with her hands on her hips and her head was cocked slightly to the right. She looked curious but concerned.

For a moment he just stared at her and marveled at how much she reminded him of Aurora. Slowly he smiled. "Everything's fine. Come and sit."

She hesitated for a second then sat across the table from him. "I heard you fighting."

"We weren't fighting."

"Well, what would you call it?"

"Your mother and I were merely having a loud discussion."

"You don't have to protect me. If you two don't love each other anymore then you can tell me," Taylor said seriously.

"I love your mother more than anything in the world. No silly disagreement can change that. I just think she's having trouble adjusting to the situation."

"Does she still love you?" Taylor wondered.

"I'm not really sure, honey. I hope so. I just have to give her sometime to work it out for herself. You have to remember we haven't seen each other for twelve years. I bet she thought she'd never see me again. She's in shock I suspect."

"If she loves you back will you get married?" she asked excitedly.

"It's a nice thought, Taylor, but I won't be able to do anything until my name is cleared," he informed her gently.

"When will that happen?"

"As soon as I catch up with that dirty, stinking rat- Oh, forget I said that," Sirius added hurriedly. "To be honest with you I don't know when I'll be cleared."

__

Possible never, he thought sadly.

Taylor must have thought the same thing because her eyes dropped to the table. He reached across and put his large hands over her small ones. She flinched at his touch and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry," she said as he withdrew his hands.

"You're not ready either. That's fine," Sirius assured her.

She still looked terribly embarrassed so he attempted a change of conversation. "Do you have a boyfriend?

Taylor giggled and blushed. "No! But there is this one boy-"

"Yes?" he prompted as she paused.

"I can't tell you! It's girls stuff!" her eyes widened in shock.

"That's ok."

She appeared thoughtful for a moment then began to talk in a whisper. "His name's Billy and he's a muggle born wizard. His parents don't want to send him away to Hogwarts so he comes to tutoring with me. He always teases me though. Mum says that means he likes me."

"I'd listen to your mother on that. She's always right. So how old is this boy anyway?" he asked casually, glad that she'd decided to talk.

"He's fourteen."

"_Fourteen_!"

Taylor raised an amused eyebrow. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Don't you think he's a little old for you?" he asked delicately.

"You sound like mum," she rolled her eyes. "Are you older than her?"

"Yes I am."

"There you go then."

"There's a four month age difference between us. Not two years!"

"It's only two years. I don't see the big deal," she rested her chin in her hand and sighed.

"The problem is that he's a teenage boy. Teenage boys are stupid. Trust me, I used to be one myself," Sirius almost told her how to deal with the situation but he realised he really had no authority over her life. "Just promise me you'll be careful."

"I can take care of myself," she insisted defensively.

He didn't doubt that at all. She had a tough exterior like Aurora but Sirius suspected that she also had a deep vulnerability under it all.

"I know you can but just promise me anyway. For my peace of mind?"

"Fine, I promise."

~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora returned ten minutes later to find them having a deep conversation about Quidditch. They both turned out to be avid supporters of the Ballycastle Bats. The fact that they were getting along so well made Aurora happier than she'd ever been. But it was also a little saddening because she realised she was no longer the only person Taylor could depend on.

"Oh, you're back," Sirius looked up in surprise, he'd been so engrossed in the discussion he hadn't even noticed her come in.

"Yep. Got a large supreme. Hope you don't mind," she placed the box on the table between them.

"That's fine."

Taylor looked from one to the other, trying to gauge their emotions. They didn't appear to be angry with each other anymore at least. Aurora noticed her staring.

"T, go wash your hands please."

She groaned and reluctantly left with a curious backward glance at her parents.

"I'm really sorry about before," Aurora apologised softly and threw her keys and purse back on the bench.

"I'm sorry too," Sirius replied just as softly. "You know she heard us yelling. She thought we didn't love each other anymore."

"What did you tell her?"

"That I love you and nothing can change that."

"Nice answer. You _are_ good at this parenting stuff," she affectionately rubbed his cheek with the back of her hand.

He closed his eyes and savoured her gentle touch. Taylor broke his reverie as she returned and upon seeing Aurora's hand caressing his cheek giggled happily and clapped her hands.

"I knew you'd make up! You really do love each other!"

Aurora's hand dropped to her side immediately. Nothing like having your daughter catch you having a private and intimate moment to undermine your authority. "Yeah, yeah. Just eat your pizza, missy."

The three of them sat around the table and stared for a moment. It was a typical family scene and they all knew they weren't exactly a typical family.

Sirius shook his head. "This will take a little getting used to. I haven't eaten at a dinner table since I went to Azkaban."

"How did you get out?" Taylor asked as she reached for a slice of pizza.

"Don't ask so many questions. There are some things you're not meant to know." Aurora grabbed herself a piece and began to pick the olives off.

"You still do that?" Sirius watched her, mildly surprised.

"Still can't stand olives," she confirmed.

"She _always _picks stuff out of her food," Taylor sighed wearily.

"I used to think it was the cutest thing. Watching her eat dinner at school was quite a treat for me," Sirius smiled fondly.

"What was it like at Hogwarts?"

"I had the best time of my life in that place," Aurora's eyes stared to glaze over at the memories.

"I wish I could go."

"Maybe you will someday," Sirius said through a mouth full of pizza.

They ate in thoughtful silence. Aurora and Sirius were remembering their years at the school and Taylor was imagining what it would be like if she went there.

The pizza went fairly quickly and Aurora cleared the box away while Taylor and Sirius went into the lounge. They sat on the lumpy blue sofa and Sirius looked around.

"Interesting carpet colour," he peered at the greenish-brown floor.

"It was originally white," Aurora said as she joined them.

"Oh," he mumbled awkwardly.

"Don't walk on it barefoot," Taylor advised him.

"The rug kinda helps brighten it up though." 

Sirius glanced at the red and gold rug in the middle of the room a little closer and recognised it with a jolt. "I remember that! James and Lily gave it to us as a house warming gift!"

"Yeah, I couldn't bare to part with it."

"That's reminds me, I've been meaning to ask you what happened to Betsy? Did she go to a good home?" Sirius looked over the top of Taylor's head to address Aurora.

"Betsy? Who's she?" the girl demanded.

"His flying motorcycle. Betsy didn't go anywhere, Siri, Hagrid brought her back to me and I put her in storage. She's still there."

"Hang on! You had a flying motorcycle named Betsy?!"

He ignored her. "Aurora! You obviously needed the money! Why didn't you sell her?"

"She wasn't mine to sell. Plus, I didn't want to let go…it was the last thing I had to remind me of you. Apart from your clothes of course."

"You kept my clothes as well?"

"They're in a box in my wardrobe. I haven't touched them for a year or so. For a couple of months after you left I wore your shirts everywhere. Partly because most of mine didn't get over my belly anymore but mostly because they still smelt like you. They were a comfort through the pregnancy," Aurora managed to finish before her throat constricted.

Taylor looked at her hands. She'd never contemplated what her mother had gone through. Aurora had told her that her father had left when he found out she was pregnant. Now she knew the truth about her parents she shared their pain.

"I'm sorry, mum," she rested her head on her mother's shoulder.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, darling. If you hadn't come along I would have given up long ago."

__

My beautiful girls, Sirius smiled at them. "How about we change the subject to something a little more upbeat?"

"Good idea," Aurora sighed gratefully.

"When did you fall in love with mum?" Taylor asked after a moments thought.

Sirius frowned. He'd never pin pointed the moment. "I don't know about love but from the moment I saw her I knew I had to have her."

"The moment you saw me? So that would have been in the middle of Platform 9 3/4 when you unceremoniously landed on top of me," Aurora raised an amused eyebrow as she vividly recalled their first meeting.

"Landed on top of her?" their intrigued daughter questioned.

"Rory was tying her shoe lace, if I remember rightly, when James pushed me for no particular reason. I ran right into your mother and ended up sitting on her."

"What did you do, mum?"

"I got very angry and made some threats as he ran off giggling with James. He became my enemy from that day."

"It was quite the opposite with me," Sirius added. "I was obsessed with her. To my utmost frustration she ignored me most of the time. On the advice of my friends I attempted to get her attention one night at dinner."

"Oh yes, I remember that," Aurora's eyes narrowed at Sirius tried to appear innocent.

"What happened?" Taylor asked urgently.

"He threw chocolate pudding at me. Got me square in the face too."

She gasped. "That's awful!"

"It got her attention," he shrugged. "And it started one of the biggest food fights ever to grace Hogwarts."

"I have to admit I did have fun, Sirius. You still could have impressed me in a much cleaner and civilised way."

"Like that time in the Astronomy Tower?"

"That wasn't clean or civilised either," she pointed out.

Taylor cleared her throat loudly. "I'm still in the room!"

They both chuckled. "Sorry, honey."

"Just don't do it ever again. Tell me more about Hogwarts, please."

Sirius and Aurora were happy to oblige.

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A/N: I'd hoped that chapter would be more exciting than the last but things don't always go to plan. As I feel this story isn't really going anywhere there will only be one more chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Your comments are greatly appreciated.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own Aurora, Taylor and the defective sofa bed. Yay for me.

A/N: It's been awhile! Here it is anyway, the final chapter. I hope you've enjoyed the story and a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed. It means a lot to me. Without further ado…

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Chapter 6

As soon as Taylor had skipped off to bed, Sirius and Aurora fell into an awkward silence. She examined her fingernails and he stared at the far wall. 

"I feel like a shy teenager again," Sirius admitted quietly.

"You were never a shy teenager, Black."

"Good point."

Another unfamiliar silence stretched between them then Aurora smothered a yawn, albeit a fake yawn. "I better get to bed as well. I have work in the morning and my boss has this thing about being late. He already says if I have any more days off he'll fire me."

"Sounds like a friendly bloke," he commented dryly. "I guess you better get some sleep then."

She stood up and stretched her arms over her head. Sirius didn't move, he just looked up at her. "I'll sleep out here, shall I?"

Aurora nodded slightly. "It's better that way."

"I can't say I agree with you, love."

"Siri, just trust me on this."

"It's your place," he shrugged despondently.

"I'll get you a blanket and pillow."

She ducked out of the room and Sirius just sighed. Something was definitely up with her. He was going to find out what it was and fix it.

"Is this thing a sofa bed?" he asked when she returned.

"Yes, but it only unfolds halfway then gets stuck. I think it's rusty or something," she mumbled in embarrassment.

"Right. Well, no matter. I've slept on worse before."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," he said. "Really, I'll be fine."

"I'm just glad you're all right. I thought it was over when the Ministry caught you."

"So did I. If it weren't for Harry…" Sirius trailed off.

"You're safe now and that's all that matters. Good night, Sirius."

"G'night, Rory."

~~~~~~~~~~

Aurora did not have a good night at all. She tossed and turned trying to get comfortable. When she finally achieved this all she did was think about Sirius. Several times she almost went out to see if he was asleep but her sanity prevailed in the end.

Overall, she only managed about two hours of broken sleep. Even that didn't help much because she ended up having inappropriate dreams about Sirius.

At seven the next morning she practically leapt out of bed and into the shower. Sirius was still asleep and she tried not to think about him while she woke Taylor and made breakfast. When the two of them were ready to leave he was still sound asleep so Aurora sent Taylor outside to wait outside. She tiptoed into the lounge room and her breath caught in her chest when she saw Sirius sleeping peacefully.

She snapped out of her stupor when she remembered the moment he walked out of her life. Suddenly all business-like again, she scribbled a quick note for him and left it on the kitchen table. Halfway out the front door her resolve failed and she crept back in.

"I love you," she whispered and planted a kiss on his forehead.

He stirred in his sleep and she rushed out in case he woke up. Taylor gave her an odd look as she came flying out the door.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, sweetheart."

Except that she still loved Sirius with all of her being. It was a small miracle considering what she'd been through. That's why she wasn't going to let it happen again.

This time she wasn't going to get attached to him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sirius eventually woke around eleven. His neck was decidedly stiff and his back wasn't much better but he felt refreshed. He hadn't had a very good night either. All he did was think about Aurora and why she didn't reciprocate. He'd fallen into a heavy sleep at three when recent events caught up with his body.

He had hoped to see Aurora when he woke but he sadly remembered that she had gone to work. He took a long shower and briefly contemplated going through her wardrobe to find the box of his clothes. But he quickly decided not to do so because she was sure to get angry if she knew he'd gone through her things.

Sirius put the same clothes back on and wandered into the kitchen where he found Aurora's note.

__

Sirius,

I didn't want to wake you this morning because you could obviously use the rest. I've gone to work and Taylor has gone to tutoring. I'll be back during my lunch break at 12.

If you find anything edible you're quite welcome to it. Just check the expiry date first. If you decide to cook, I'd appreciate it if you didn't burn my flat down.

See you later,

Rory.

See you later? Not exactly a romantic farewell, he thought.

"Bloody women," he sighed and sat down to read the Daily Prophet.

He noted that Ireland was playing Bulgaria in the final of the Quidditch World Cup. He didn't even know that Bulgaria had a national team, let alone a team capable of getting to the final! It was like he'd been living on Mars for the past twelve years.

He was reading a little article about his own escape when Aurora came home. She threw her coat over a chair and handed him a sandwich. "I thought you could use some food."

"Thanks."

"What are you reading?"

"About myself actually," he said and showed her the article. "Three paragraphs in the bottom right hand corner of page fifteen. I don't know whether to pleased or insulted."

"You don't warrant the front page anymore. The World Cup is much more important than some escaped criminal," Aurora smiled.

"A picture would have been nice at least."

"You're a media whore, Sirius."

"I resent that," he said airily.

"So who do you think will win the Cup?"

"Dunno," he shrugged. "Does Waterhouse still play Keeper for Ireland?"

"He retired like six years ago."

"I hate being so out of touch. What's your professional opinion then?"

"Ireland have arguably the best Chasers in the world but Bulgaria has Krum as Seeker."

"Krum?"

"Viktor Krum, Quidditch prodigy. He's only eighteen mind you. Taylor idolises him."

"She fancies herself as a Seeker then?"

"Not really. I don't think she really has any interest in playing. She'd never even been on a proper broom."

Sirius nearly choked on his sandwich. "My daughter doesn't know how to fly!?"

"Nope."

"I'll teach her," he said firmly.

Aurora didn't say anything. She looked at the tabletop morosely and Sirius frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Sirius took a deep breath and tried to speak in his calmest voice. "Something is up and you're going to tell me."

Aurora stood up and made for the door but Sirius was on his feet just as quickly and he blocked her way. "Please move," she said shakily.

"Not till you talk to me."

She tried to dodge around him but he grabbed her arm and manhandled her into her bedroom. He slammed the door and stood in front of it.

"Sirius, get out of the damn way."

"Talk to me!" he pleaded, capturing her chin in his hand.

"Don't touch me," she stepped back quickly.

Sirius looked stunned then his eyes narrowed. "That's it, isn't it? You don't want me. Is it because I've been in prison? Does that repulse you? Am I that unattractive to you?"

She slapped a hand to her forehead. There goes her quiet lunch.

"Or maybe you're a nun. Is that it? Or am I just not good enough for you?"

"You're an idiot, Sirius Black," she shook her head.

His cheeks burned crimson. "Just come right out with it. Don't worry about my feelings or anything!"

"You're an idiot and I love you."

Sirius just snorted. "If this is how you treat someone you love I'd hate to be your enemy."

"You're the only person I've ever loved," Aurora insisted.

"Prove it then," he spread his arms. "Kiss me."

She dropped her gaze. "I can't."

"Then I'll kiss you. Any objects to that?"

"I-I don't want to kiss you."

"Ah, the truth finally comes out," he said smugly.

"You don't understand," she sighed. "I don't want to kiss you because you're just going to end up leaving me again."

"Huh?"

"You heard me. I'm not going to let myself get attached to you."

A look of confusion settled on his familiar features. "That makes no sense."

"It does, just think about it. You're on the run, Sirius. You can't stay in one place for too long. Fudge isn't _completely _stupid and when he realises there haven't been any sightings of you he'll know that someone must be helping you hide. Three guesses who'll be on the top of his suspect list."

Sirius nodded vaguely. "And then I'll have to leave and you'll be heartbroken again."

"Exactly. Now you understand why we can't let ourselves get carried away."

"I don't understand actually."

"Sirius-"

"No. Listen to me, Aurora." He grabbed her upper arms firmly so she couldn't break away. "Life is about risks. You know that as well as I do. Yes, I will have to leave eventually but shouldn't we make the most of it now?"

"But that will make it more painful when you go," Aurora protested.

"It will be worth it," he said softly. She still remained unconvinced so he grabbed her face and kissed her. His lips were just how she remembered them and for a moment she didn't breath. His soft warmth flooded her and she felt her wall crumbling.

"I ought to slap you," she said as he drew back, a satisfied look on his face. Instead, she threw her arms around his neck. "You had just better hope it's worth it."

"Oh, I'll make it worth your while, sweetheart. I just hope you can keep up with me." His hands fell to the front of her blouse.

~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later Aurora lay in his arms. It didn't even feel like they been apart. She still felt perfectly at home in his embrace and she knew she was right where she belonged. Sirius tightened her grip and kissed the top of her head.

"So much for not getting attached," she giggled.

"But it was worth it, right?"

"Absolutely. The first, second and third time."

"No regrets then?"

"Not one."

Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door, which jolted the pair out of their state of bliss. "Is it Taylor?"

Aurora sat up and shook her head. "It's much too early."

"Matheson! I know you're in there!"

"Oh, hell! It's my boss!" Aurora slipped out of his arms and struggled into her underwear and skirt.

"Tell him to bugger off," Sirius suggested calmly.

"I can't do that! He's probably already going to fire me!" she glanced at the clock and grimaced. Over half an hour late. She had completely forgotten about having to go back to work.

"I'll tell him to bugger of then."

"Don't you dare! He's an ignorant Muggle but I bet he knows who you are. You stay in here," she said as she frantically hunted around for her blouse. Finally she found it under the bed. Merlin knows how it got under there.

She quickly buttoned it as she ran to the door. He was still banging and yelling. She took a deep, calming breath before opening the door. "Good afternoon, Mr. Franklin," she smiled brightly.

The tall, balding man looked her up and down, taking in her disheveled state. Her skirt was twisted, she'd missed a button on her blouse and her hair had all but fallen out of its neat ponytail. He pushed past her into the flat. "I don't know what you're playing at here, Matheson, but I warned you."

"I know, sir. Something important just came up and I got sidetracked."

"What could possibly be more important than your job?"

"The love of my life," she answered promptly. No point in lying about it.

Her boss suddenly looked around warily. "You never think of anybody but your self! Do you realise how long it's going to take me to retrain someone to fill your spot?"

Aurora rolled her eyes dramatically. "I pull beers and wait on tables, it's not bloody rocket science."

He clenched his fists and called her a very nasty name. Before Aurora could react, a great big, black dog came bounding out of her bedroom. Sirius stood by Aurora's side and growled, his teeth bared.

"I suggest you get out before he gets really mad. I can't control him when he gets like this."

Mr. Franklin didn't need to be told twice. He backed slowly out of the flat, his eyes never leaving Sirius. Aurora slammed the door and turned back around to find the now human Sirius looking a little ashamed.

"Sorry I just lost you your job."

"It was a crappy job anyway," she shrugged.

He smiled. "So long till Taylor gets home?"

"Two hours or so."

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"You want to sit down and have a meaningful conversation about politics?" she tilted her head.

"Really cute, Rory."

~~~~~~~~~~

Taylor picked up on their happiness quickly and she began badgering them the next day. Aurora had officially been fired and Taylor was home because it was Saturday. The three of them had a nice, relaxing family day.

"I'd _really _like a little sister," she said wistfully as they ate dinner. "Even a brother wouldn't be that bad."

Aurora glanced at Sirius. He just smiled and shook his head.

"Can't you two have a baby?" Taylor asked him.

"It's not really all up to me. Your mother is the one who has to give birth."

"Mum?"

"You ask too many questions. You get that from your father."

"She does not!"

"Yeah, I do not!"

Aurora laughed. Sirius would love another child. So would she as a matter of fact. But it wasn't the right time. "Things are all over the place at the moment but who knows what will happen in the future?"

Taylor liked that answer enough and she began to think of baby names. "What about Emily?"

"I actually like Gertrude," Sirius said. They just stared at him. "I was only kidding!"

"You're such a prat," Aurora said tolerably. "I like Emily."

"If we had a boy we'd have to name him Sirius of course."

Taylor looked stricken. "That is sooo old fashioned!"

"I gotta agree with her, honey. It's too weird."

Sirius pouted, then his eyes lit up. "What about James then?"

"It's perfect," Aurora grinned.

There was a tap at the kitchen window and Taylor jumped up to open it. "We never get letters!" 

A snowy owl swooped into the flat and wheeled around the confined space uncomfortably. Aurora watched in wonder as it landed in the middle of the kitchen table and began to preen itself.

"Hedwig," Sirius said softly, his brown eyes wide.

"Huh?"

"It's Harry's owl."

Taylor squeaked excitedly. "Harry Potter's owl is on my kitchen table! Wait till I tell Billy!"

"Taylor, you mustn't mention this," Sirius warned.

"But nothing interesting ever happens to me!"

"Taylor, do you want Sirius to be caught?"

"No," she mumbled. "Fine, I won't say a word."

Sirius picked up the letter Hedwig had dropped carefully. He read it once, twice then a third time. Aurora watched as his face paled and he looked tired and worn.

"T, stay in here and give Hedwig something to eat and drink," she grabbed Sirius by the hand and pulled him into her room. "What is it?"

"I'm not really sure yet," he answered cautiously.

"I'm a big girl, you can tell me if something's wrong."

"Harry said his scar hurt."

"And…"

"And I'm not sure, love. I'll have to go talk to Remus. He's been keeping an ear to the ground for me. If anything odd has been happening he'll no about it."

Aurora let out a long breath. "All right. When are you going to see him?"

"I should probably go right now," he said.

"I want to come too."

"No. You have to stay here with Taylor," he put his hands on her shoulders. "I'll be back."

She wrapped her arms around herself to stop shivering. "Promise?"

"You have my sworn word, Rory."

"That's good enough for me. But I think you better just go. Taylor won't understand."

Sirius just shook his head. "She deserves to know what's going on."

"I'll talk to her. I'm just worried she won't let you go. She's very fond of you."

"Just tell her I love her and I'll be back soon."

"Of course. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Then he Apparated. Aurora rubbed at her eyes and tried to gather her wits before emerging from her room. Taylor was sitting at the table stroking Hedwig soft, white feathers. She looked up. "He's gone, hasn't he?"

"He's gone to see his friend. He said to tell you he loves and you and that he'll be back soon."

"He's truly coming back?"

"He gave me his word. If he says he'll be back then he'll be back," Aurora said firmly though her knees wavered.

"Is Harry all right?"

"That's what your father's going to find out, dear."

~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you positive?"

"For the tenth time, yes!" Remus ran his hand through his hair. 

"It's not good."

"I'm just telling you what I know."

"Do you think Harry's in any danger?" Sirius asked. They'd been talking for over an hour now. Remus had heard quite a lot of odd rumours concerning Voldemort and his supposed movements.

"I don't know but it all points to something big. And we all know how well Harry attracts trouble."

"It's not bloody fair," Sirius groaned.

"You're getting along well with Aurora?" Remus guessed.

"It took a while but now we can't get enough of each other," he looked up at his friend suddenly. "I have a daughter, you know. Rory was pregnant."

"_Pregnant_?!"

"Yep. Her name's Taylor. She's the most amazing kid, Remus."

"I can imagine," he smiled at the thought of their daughter then his face fell. "I yelled at Aurora. After you were caught she came to see me. She accused me of betraying James and Lily. I told her it was you. Oh, I yelled at a pregnant woman! No wonder she was so emotional."

"Don't worry about it. She doesn't hate you. Not anymore at least."

They were silent for a long time. Sirius was thinking about how he was going to tell Aurora that he had to go to Harry when Remus spoke. "Do you want me to go instead of you?"

"I wish that were possible. It's too risky with your transformations."

"Yeah, I hadn't thought of that."

"I just hate having to leave them. You should see the flat they live in. They deserve better than that," Sirius shook his head in utter frustration.

"I'll end up in a stingy flat soon too if I don't come up with the rent," Remus looked around his house. It was a modest three-bedroom place but it was a lot better then the flat.

Suddenly Sirius slapped his thigh. "I've just had a brilliant idea!"

~~~~~~~~~~

It was around eight when Sirius returned to the flat. Aurora and Taylor were waiting anxiously for him. Aurora told Taylor to go to her room.

"No. She needs to hear this as well."

"All right," Aurora took her daughters hand.

"I have to go to Harry," he explained. "I don't know how long I'll be gone."

"Is something going to happen to him if you don't go?" Taylor asked.

"Possibly. But I wouldn't be going if it weren't absolutely necessary. I have a duty to Harry and his parents."

Aurora was silent. Sirius hugged her to his chest. "It'll be different this time. I can send you letters. And as soon as I know Harry is safe I'll be back."

"I know. It's just sudden," she whispered.

"I'm not going to leave you two here."

"We can't come with you," Aurora pointed out.

"I know that," Sirius released her. "I need you both to pack your things."

"Why?"

"I'm taking you to stay with one of my friends."

"Remus?" Aurora asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"He agreed to this?"

"Of course. He gets lonely living alone and he struggles to pay the rent. You can get a new job and he can tutor Taylor."

It almost sounded too good to be true. "What about, you know, his _condition_?"

"Is he sick?" Taylor wondered.

"Sort of," Sirius smiled. "He's fine, Rory. He still has some Wolfsbane potion Snape gave him. He'll need your help to make more though. We'll have to go tonight."

Aurora looked thoughtful. If Remus really needed her then she'd help him. It would go a long way to making things up to him for those accusations. If she knew she'd be helping out then moving wouldn't seem too pointless. "That's sounds like a good idea. T, go pack."

"Only bother with essential things at the moment. Remus will bring you back later to get everything else."

Taylor nodded and bounced out of the room. Aurora turned to Sirius and quickly kissed him before running to pack her things.

Twenty minutes later they were all assembled in the hallway. "Do you know anyone who has a fireplace connected to the network?"

"My tutor does."

"Right, you two go there and I'll Apparate back to Remus."

The two of them ended up running down the street. Aurora knocked on the door and a middle aged wizard answered. As politely as they could they asked if they could please borrow his fireplace.

"My fireplace?"

"Yes, sir. We're going to visit my grandmother but our fireplace is out of commission at the moment," Taylor explained sweetly.

"That's lovely. Of course you can use my fireplace."

They both thanked him profusely. Taylor went first. She'd only ever traveled by Floo once before. Aurora followed her after thanking the man again. They arrived just as Sirius did. Remus came out of the kitchen and smiled.

Aurora ran into his arms. "Oh, Remus! I'm so sorry about what happened. I shouldn't have called you a traitor."

"I shouldn't have yelled at you and blamed Sirius. If I'd known you were pregnant…"

"All's forgiven. Thank you for letting us stay with you."

"It's not a problem," he assured her. Then he spotted Taylor hanging back behind Sirius. "Hello. You must be Taylor. Sirius has told me a lot about you."

She blushed and nodded. Remus showed them to the spare rooms they'd be staying in and then they all stood in the middle of the lounge room. The anticipation rendered them silent and Aurora barely repressed a sob.

"I should go get Buckbeak," Sirius said finally.

"I'll go get him ready," Remus ducked out of the room, leaving the three alone.

"I'll keep in touch," he promised.

"You'd better!" Aurora smiled through her tears.

"It'll be all right," he soothed. He turned to his daughter and was startled to see she was crying as well. "You have to look after your mother for me."

"I will."

Sirius hugged and kissed them both then they went outside to see Remus. Taylor was fascinated by Buckbeak and kept asking Remus questions. While she was occupied Aurora and Sirius had a proper kiss goodbye.

"I'll hurry back as soon as I can. Just remember I love you, ok?"

"That's all that will keep me sane. Take care of yourself, sweetheart," she kissed him again. Then again. And once more for good measure.

Remus, Aurora and Taylor stepped back and watched Sirius as he bowed to Buckbeak then carefully climbed onto his back.

"Take care of my girls, Remus!"

"I will," he put his arms around the two of them.

"See you later, Sirius," Aurora waved.

"Bye, dad."

Aurora and Sirius both stared at their daughter. Sirius smiled. "Bye, my loves."

They stood outside and peered up at the dark sky till Buckbeak and Sirius could no longer be seen amongst the stars.

__________________________________________________________________________________

A/N: All finished! I hope that was a worthy final chapter. Like how I tastefully skimmed over the smut? Probably not. But if I had written it you'd all be scarred for life and I don't want that on my conscience. Sorry I couldn't continue the story but I knew I was running out of steam. It's hard to manage three stories at a time! 

Please review anyway.


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